Hanger 119
by Nom-Anor
Summary: A short story. Han Solo and Chewbacca are both fugitives on an alien planet and they must try to recover the Millennium Falcon and escape from the Empire before they are either captured on killed. Please Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1

Hanger 119

Nick Salemi

Prologue

Seven years before the fateful day when he met Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in a cantina on Tatooine, Han Solo and his Wookiee Companion, Chewbacca, are hired by a Twi'lek spice dealer, named Gyb Ruhtann, on Ryloth to smuggle a large shipment of Ryll spice to the planet Cato Neimoidia. Han takes the job and he and Chewie land where the Twi'lek instructs them to, but the two of them are attacked by imperial stormtroopers the second they step off out of the Millennium Falcon. They manage to avoid the imperial troops, but they are forced to leave the Falcon behind. Now they are fugitives on the planet, without any money or anyway to escape the planet. They must find a way to recover the Falcon and find out how the Empire knew they were shipping spice…..

Chapter 1

"Chewie, get over here!" Han Solo shouted from behind a large crate, which he was using as cover from incoming blaster fire. He reached around the crate and fired a few quick shots at the Imperial stormtroopers on the other side of the street. Chewbacca came up behind Han and tossed a stun grenade over his head. The grenade landed in the center of the Imperials then went off with a brilliant flash of energy.

"Let's go." Shouted Han and the two of them ran down the street as fast as they could. Neither of them bothered to see whether or not all of the stormtroopers had been disabled or not.

A few minutes later the two of them hid in an alley several blocks away. They were on the planet Cato Neimoidia. They had been there for over two weeks, avoiding Imperial patrols and the local police. To help disguise himself; Han had dyed his hair a deep brown and he had also grown a short goatee. Likewise, Chewbacca had added some reddish-orange highlights to his fur. They were fugitives, their ship had been taken into custody by the Imperials and they had no money. All they had between them was a few ration bars that they were saving, a pair of comlinks, Han's DL-44 blaster, and Chewbacca's bowcaster.

"We can't do this for much longer, Chewie." Han stated; leaning against the alley wall as he tried to catch his breath. Chewbacca growled in agreement, brushing dust out of his fur.

"We need to find a way to get the Falcon back and then get the hell off of this rock." Han said.

Chewbacca barked a question.

"No, we're not going to just find another ship," Han answered fiercely, "we're getting the Falcon back or we're going to die trying." With that Han turned and started off down the alley.

Chewbacca sighed a deep Wookiee sigh and then slowly walked after his human partner.

Several hours later, the two of them were sitting at a table in a small nightclub. The club was lit by bright green and orange beams of light that swirled around the room. There was a large round table in the middle of the room, where four Twi'lek females in reveling outfits danced around. Hundreds of individuals of all kinds of species were gathered in the club. There were humans, Neimoidians, Rodians, Biths, Bothans, Gungans, Ithorians, Vors, Snivvians and many others. Some Han didn't even recognize. It was very crowded and noisy; a perfect place for two fugitives to hide out while they thought of a plan to get their stolen ship back.

"Alright Chewie, we need to get back to the hanger." Said Han, referring to Hanger 119 where they had landed the Falcon. "I think I know how we can get inside. We just need some kind of distraction."

Chewbacca shook his head and grunted a response. He was a little nervous about what Han might have planned.

"Well I think we should try and sneak in tomorrow night. There'll most likely be fewer guards out then. As far as a distraction goes, leave that to me I have an idea." Han said confidently.

Still a little wary, the Wookiee was silent for a moment. Then he bellowed a statement.

"What do you mean you think we should wait until we find another option?" Han asked, taken aback. "There might not be another option. This may be our only chance. It won't be long before either the Empire discovers and arrests us or we starve to death."

Chewbacca didn't say anything. He just leaned back and shook his head, hoping that Han knew what he was doing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After leaving the club, the two companions made their way to an alley on the other side of town. It took them a few hours to get there. When they arrived, Chewbacca growled a question concerning their location.

"Don't worry Chewie, I know where we're going," said Han, "in fact we're almost there."

Just then something moved across the alley. Han reached down, pulled out his blaster and aimed at where he had seen the movement.

"Now, what kind of welcome is that for an old friend, Solo?" Came a scratchy voice from the dark alley.

Han smiled and put away the blaster. "You shouldn't hide in dark alleys Froank. It could be hazardous to your health."

Froank laughed and stepped out of the dark. He was a skinny, hunched Farghul, whose fur was starting to turn grey. He wore only dirty, tattered robes and had a long beard that reached almost down to his knees.

"How have you been old friend?" Froank asked. "I haven't seen you since that run on Ord Mantell."

"Never been better, Froank. I see you're still living the high life." He gestured to Chewbacca. "I'm sure you remember my partner, Chewie."

"Ah, of course, how could I forget that big fur ball?"

Chewbacca growled a warning.

"I'm only joking, Chewie," laughed Froank. "Have a sense of humor."

"Alright, Froank, we're not here for your games. We need your help."

Froank coughed, "With what? You know I'm not in the spice business anymore."

"I'm not looking for spice. I'm looking for something else. And I'm sure that you're the only one on this planet that can get me one."

"What exactly are you looking for?" Froank said with a smile.

"Granite Slugs," Han said returning the smile.

"Why in the galaxy would you need Granite Slugs, Solo?" Froank asked.

"I'd rather not say, besides you probably wouldn't even believe me if I did tell you."

"Try me." Froank said with a smirk.

Han sighed. "The _Falcon's _been taken by the Empire and they're holding her in Hanger 119. They tried to arrest us as soon as we stepped on to the planet. So we've been spending the last two weeks or so trying to stay one step ahead of Imperial stormtroopers."

"Why'd they try to arrest you? What you do this time, Solo?"

Han faked a smile. "Yeah, real funny, Chewie and I were shipping a load of spice for a Twi'lek I ran into on Ryloth, named Gyb Ruhtann. He paid well and I was going to be heading to this end of the galaxy anyway, so it seemed like a good deal."

"Damn, I was wrong," continued Han, "somehow the Empire must've known that we had the spice, because they accused us of carrying it as soon as we landed. We were barely able to escape. Maybe they had gotten to Ruhtaan and found out that we were headed to Cato Neimoidia. So we need the Slugs to get into the hanger."

"That's a dangerous plan, Solo, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Froank asked.

"Yes," Han answered without hesitation. "There's no other way."

Froank sighed. "Very well then I'll help you out. I can get you your damn Granite slugs but after that you and Chewie are on your own. I'm not going to get involved with the Empire, especial with my record."

"Thanks, Froank, I really appreciate this."

"Don't mention it Solo, but just remember that this isn't going to be easy, if not impossible."

Han gave the Farghul a crooked smile. "Since when has accomplishing the impossible ever been a problem for me?"

Han turned around and he and Chewbacca started off back down the alley.

Froank gazed after them and muttered. "Good luck old friend."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Early the next day, the two smugglers were standing just outside of Hanger 119. They both wore hooded cloaks to disguise themselves. Han carried a large case. Inside the case was the Granite Slugs that he had gotten from Froank. He needed the Slugs to help them get into the hanger unnoticed. It was going to difficult, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Chewbacca howled a question.

"Don't worry, Chewie, we'll go in as soon as the first cargo shuttle arrives. That way the security will be focused on the ship and its crew and they won't be as concerned with the _Falcon."_

Still not satisfied, the Wookiee barked another question. This time a little more forcefully.

"You don't have to worry about that once were inside it should only take a few minutes for me to disable the security locks on the _Falcon._" Han explained. "After that, you get aboard and power her up while I keep an eye out and make sure no one has their finger on the trigger waiting for us to show our backs."

Chewie didn't ask any more questions, but he did mutter something under his breath as he turned away from Han and leaned against the hanger wall.

"What did you say?" Han asked. "What do you mean that? Of course I'll make sure that the hanger doors are open! Do you think I'm an idiot? Believe it or not, Chewie, I actually do know what I'm doing."

Chewie shrugged and shook his large, furry head. He really did hope that his friend did know what he was doing and he hadn't just become desperate.

A few hours later, Han and Chewbacca watch as a small cargo freighter lands and sets down inside of the hanger.

"Well, Chewie, that's what we were waiting for. Let's get going, don't forget to grab the stun grenades. I'm pretty sure that we'll need them for this."

Chewbacca murmured an agreement and picked up a small container full of stun grenades. He swung the container over his shoulder and he and Han started off. They went around to the rear of the hanger where there weren't any stormtrooper sentries. Han set down the case of Granite Slugs and opened it. Inside there were four small, slug-like creatures with four eye stalks.

"Well, there they are," said Han, "this should work."

Han put on a pair of dense gloves, used for handling highly acidic objects. Then he reached into the case and grabbed one of the Slugs. He set it against the wall of the hanger. The Slug started to slowly slide across the wall, it left a trail of corrosive acid as it went.

Han laughed. "Perfect, I knew this would work."

Chewbacca grunted and nodded, although he wasn't exactly convinced that Han was actually right.

Han set the other three Slugs on the wall and stood back and watched as the Slugs started to burn through the hanger.

"You ready, Chewie?" Han asked as he drew his DL-44 and checked the power.

Grabbing his bowcaster off of his back, Chewbacca prepared himself for whatever they might run into once they got inside. He knew that it wouldn't take the Imperials long to learn that they had gotten through the hanger wall and it would take them even less time to find out where they were.

After a few minutes, the Granite Slugs finished making a hole large enough for Han and Chewbacca to fit through. The two smugglers moved through the dark opening, in hopes of locating and reclaiming their lost ship.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Han and Chewbacca made their way through a dimly lit corridor. Chewbacca suspected that it was a service tunnel of some kind, probably used by maintenance workers and engineers. They continued down the tunnel for about twenty minutes or so, until they came to a large open room. The room was better lit then the tiny tunnel and was filled with containers and parts from old ships and droids. It looked more like a storage yard then a hanger.

The smugglers walked, cautiously, into the room. They didn't see anyone else around but they couldn't afford to take any chances.

"Does this room look familiar to you, Chewie?" Han asked his partner.

Chewbacca gazed around the room again. It didn't seem familiar to him at first, and then he noticed what was in the middle of the room among the piles of junk. It was their ship, the _Millennium Falcon._

Chewbacca roared in excitement. He knew they now had a chance of getting off of this planet alive. Perhaps Han's plan would actually work.

"I told you my plan would work, Chewie." Han said laughing.

A few minutes later they had disabled the security locks and Chewbacca had hurried aboard the _Falcon _and had started prepping the engines for their escape. The ship seemed to be working fine, but it all just seemed too easy. They had gotten into the hanger without running into any patrols, they'd disabled the locks without setting off any alarms and they'd fired up the engines and still no one had come to see what might to be going on.

Not that either of them were complaining, it would be fine with them if they were able to get out of the system without having to worry about being noticed by the Imperials.

Han Solo was just outside of the ship, standing next to the lowered ramp. He was a little nervous, he had almost hoped that they would encounter some kind of resistance by now, but they hadn't. It was really making him wonder where the stormtroopers that he knew were in the hanger were at and what they were doing that would keep them from noticing a freighter powering up.

He turned and shouted up the ramp. "Hey, Chewie, how does she look so far?"

Chewie howled back impatiently, he was trying to get everything ready on the _Falcon_ as fast as he could. He had no desire to be stuck here in case the Imperials suddenly noticed what they were doing.

"As soon as the main engines are online let me know and I'll open the hanger doors." Han told his Wookiee companion. "At this rate we'll be out of here and all the way to the Core before the Imperials find out that we took the _Falcon." _

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you, Captain Solo." Han heard a voice say from the other side of the room.

Han swung his Blaster around aiming it at the source of the voice. He was surprised to find that it came from Gyb Ruhtann, the Twi'lek spice dealer who had hired them for the job that had gotten them into this mess.

"Ruhtann? What are you doing here?" Han asked.

"What I'm I doing here? I think a better question is what are you doing here?"

"What?" Han asked confused.

"I'm not the one trying to commandeer a freighter from Imperial custody." Ruhtann stated.

"It's my ship and I'm just trying to get it back." Han explained.

"Oh I know that, but unfortunately my employers would not be happy with me if I just let you get away."

"And just who are your employers?" Han demanded.

Ruhtann laughed. "Why don't you ask them yourself?"

Just then, a dozen stormtroopers flooded into the room from behind the Twi'lek. They surrounded Han and the _Falcon._ Two of them rushed up the ramp to find Chewbacca.

"Chewie look out!" Han shouted. The words barely left his mouth before one of the troopers struck him in the back of the head with his blaster. Han fell to the ground and his world slowly went dark. The last thing he remembered hearing was the familiar sound of a Wookiee roar.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chewbacca heard Han's shouts from outside the _Falcon._ He turned and hurried towards the ramp, but he was cut off by a pair of stormtroopers.

The first one raised his blaster and said, "don't move, Wookiee, I'm not afraid to blast you apart."

Chewbacca backed up slowly, then jumped to the right and ducked under a pile of small, empty containers.

The stormtroopers opened fire but failed to hit anything but the walls of the ship and the containers.

Still hiding behind the containers, Chewbacca grabbed his bowcaster off of his back. He waited for the troopers to stop firing then he leapt over his makeshift barricade and let loose a few shots from his weapon. The first stormtrooper fell quickly, but the other managed to get out of the way of the Wookiee's fire. The trooper got back to his feet and raised his blaster.

Chewbacca could see the trooper preparing to fire. He reached out and swung one of his mighty fists at his opponent. The Imperial was caught off guard and fell to the deck as limp as a R2-unit hit by an Ion cannon.

With the two stormtroopers incapacitated, Chewbacca made for the ramp to see what had happened to his partner.

Han Solo awoke a few minutes later, he had stuncuffs on his hands and he was still surrounded by Imperial troopers. His head ached and his blaster was nowhere to be seen.

"I see you've decided to join us again, Captain Solo." Ruhtann said. The Twi'lek was standing a couple meters from him. He had a small blaster pistol poited at Han's head.

"Forgive me, but I just didn't have the heart to kill you while you were unconscious." Ruhtann continued.

"Why?" was all that Han could manage to say.

"Why? Why do you think? Did you really think that I would pass up the opportunity to double the amount of credits that I earn annually?" The Twi'lek asked. "All I had to do was stop shipping spice to Imperial controlled worlds and the Empire would give me a payload for every dealer and smuggler that I was able deliver to them."

"You're willing to sell out your own in exchange for a few extra credits. That's low."

"Everyone needs to make a living in this galaxy, Solo. If a few people have to suffer for me to survive, then that's fine with me." Ruhtann explained. "I'm an opportunist and a business man; I know a winning side when I see one."

"You're a turncoat and a traitor is all you are," Han growled. "I hate traitors."

"Don't be a sore loser, Solo. The best man won, that's all." Ruhtann stepped forward and pressed the blaster to Han's forehead. "Any last words?" he asked.

Han just glared at the treacherous Twi'lek. If he was about to die, he refused to give his enemy the pleasure of seeing him show fear.

Just as Ruhtann was about to pull the trigger and end the smuggler's life, a blaster bolt burned through the Twi'lek's head, killing him instantly.

Han gazed around searching for where the blast had come from and he found it standing at the foot of the _Millennium Falcon's _ramp. It was Chewbacca standing there with his bowcaster.

"Chewie!" shouted Han excitedly. He had never been so happy to see his Wookiee partner before.

Chewie roared and fired at the stormtroopers surrounding Han. Two were shot down quickly; the other eight scattered and dove for cover. In the confusion Han was able to make his way over to Chewbacca and the _Falcon._

"Chewie, can you get these cuffs off of me?" Han asked.

Although effective against humans, the cuffs didn't do much to stop a Wookiee. Chewbacca reached out and tore the cuffs in half.

"Thanks, Chewie, now I where is my blaster?" Han looked around the room, hoping to spot his weapon. He saw it lying near the body of Ruhtann.

The stormtroopers had all taken cover and were now laying down as much fire as they could on the smugglers. Luckily, they were yet to actually hit either of them despite all of their firing.

"Cover me!" Han shouted, and then he slid across the floor and scooped up his blaster. He then rolled over onto his side and blasted the nearest Imperial that he saw. He got to his feet and hurried back to where his partner was ducking behind a few crates, trying not to get blasted apart by the stormtroopers.

"Chewie, do you still have those stun grenades?" Han asked.

The Wookiee growled an affirmative, and then he reached for the case swung over his back.

Han fired at the Imperials to little effect. They were too well entrenched to hit.

"Get those grenades!" Han shouted.

Chewie grabbed several of the grenades out of the case. He handed one to Han and tossed the others at the Imperials. The grenades went off and sent the stormtroopers scattering in all directions.

Han shot down two of them as they tried to get out of the way of the grenade's blast radius. Then he threw the grenade that Chewbacca had handed him at the nearest group of stormtroopers. The grenade struck one of the troopers in the chest and detonated, stunning him and four other nearby troopers. The five of them fell to the ground in a heap.

With all of the Imperial dead or incapacitated, Han and Chewbacca stepped out from behind the crates they had been using for cover. They gazed around the room to make sure that they hadn't missed any of the stormtroopers.

"You alright, Chewie?" Han asked his partner.

Chewbacca nodded.

Han looked around one more time, and then he said. "Well I think my plan worked rather well."


End file.
